Eilin Castillo-Montano is back behind bars — and back in U.S. territory — after being charged with illegally reentering the United States, a move that violates federal law and puts him square in the crosshairs of federal prosecutors. The Dominican Republic citizen, previously deported in 2016, was found living in a residential neighborhood on St. Thomas, where authorities moved quickly to apprehend him following an investigative tip.
According to court documents, U.S. officials received intelligence in May 2020 that a previously deported individual was residing in St. Thomas. The investigation led directly to Eilin Castillo-Montano, whose immigration and criminal records confirmed a prior removal from the United States on April 19, 2016. That removal followed a conviction for possessing a firearm as an illegal alien — a federal offense handed down in the U.S. District Court on August 31, 2015.
Despite that conviction and forced return to the Dominican Republic, Castillo-Montano slipped back into U.S. territory. He was arrested on August 10, 2020, after admitting he had entered the U.S. Virgin Islands in January of that year. His route? A boat from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands to St. John, then onward to St. Thomas — a journey that bypassed official entry points and immigration screening.
A detention hearing was held the following day, August 11, before Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller. Rather than remand him to federal custody, the court ordered Castillo-Montano released to home incarceration under strict conditions. The decision has drawn scrutiny, given his prior weapons conviction and the deliberate nature of his reentry.
The case, now under federal prosecution by U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands, is being handled by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement. Federal authorities stress that while Castillo-Montano is entitled to due process, his return to U.S. soil after deportation is a serious felony punishable by up to two years in prison — or more, depending on prior criminal history.
Shappert issued a standard reminder: a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant, including Castillo-Montano, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But for federal prosecutors, this case sends a message — illegal reentry is not a paperwork violation. It’s a crime, and they’re coming for those who flout the law.”
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Key Facts
- State: Virgin Islands
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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